Ignition timer and coil



June 1, 1937. M, MALLORY 2,082,709

v IGNITION TIMER AND COIL Filed 001;. 30, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 w a I Y INVENTOR.

BY W ATTORNEY.

June 1, 1937. M. MALLORY IGNITION TIMER AND COIL 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed 001:. 30, 1953 m0 2 W N m H N ATTORNEY.

Patented June 1, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE IGNITION TIMER AND con.

Michigan Application October 30, 1933, Serial No. 695,787

10 Claims.

The objects of this invention are to reduce the' Figure 1 shows one form of my invention ap- 10 plied to an ignition system having two circuit breakers. v

Figure 2 shows an alternative form of my ignition system in which the spark is automatically advanced as the speed increases.

15 Figure 3 shows another form of my invention I similar to that shown in Figure 1 applied to a single circuit system having a single circuit breaker.

Figure 4 shows another application of my invention' to a single circuit system having a single circuit breaker.

In Figure 1, III is the inlet manifold of the engine. Connected to it is an inlet vacuum cylinder I I in which reciprocates a piston I2 operated by a spring I3. This piston makes contact between I4 and I5; thus acting as a vacuum responsive switch. In the position shown, the circuit is open, and I I, which is a primary circuit surrounding a secondary circuit 26, (in its turn wound around a core 21) is inoperative. I6 is a primary circuit, which is always operative, being connected to I! at one end and at the other end being connected directly to the two circuit breakers I9 and 24. The two primary. circuits 3 I6 and I I are both directly connected to the storage battery 29. The primary circuit I6 and also the primary circuit II, when the vacuum switch I4 and I5 is closed, are connected through the wire I8 with the springs 32 and 34, which transmit the current to the contacts 20 and 23, which make and break contact with the fixed contacts 2| and 22, the fixed contacts 2I and 22 being grounded in a well known manner. The circuit breakers I9 and 24 are separated by the rotating cam 25.

In Figure 2, a double circuit breaker is provided and separate connections from the double primary circuits. I! is connected to the circuit breaker l9 through the wire I8. The primary circuit I6 is connected through the wire 36 to the circuit breaker 24, which has its contact 22 grounded through a vacuum switch I5 by means of the wire 33, which switch isoperated by the piston I3, which reciprocates in the vacuum cylinder I2, atmospheric pressure being admitted through the opening I I prime. In this figure, the secondary high tension circuit 26 is shown connected to the ordinary distributor 35. It will be noticed that there is a difierence between the setting of the circuit breakers I9 and 24.

In Figure 3, a single circuit breaker I9 is used. and both primary windings I6 and II are connected therewith through the wire I8. II is connected through the vacuum switch I4 and I5 as described above.

In Figure 4, the inlet manifold III is shown complete with a carburetor 3|] and a throttle valve 3 I. A pipe 9 is shown connecting the inlet manifold In with the inlet vacuum cylinder II, in which the piston I2 reciprocates. The contacts I4 and I5 are opened by the vacuum acting on the piston I2, atmospheric pressure being admitted through II prime. In this construction, only one primary circuit is shown-I I. This communicates with the circuit breaker I9 through a resistance 28.- This resistance 28 is short-circuited by the closing of the switch contacts I4, and I5 by the piston I 2. Circuit breaker I9 is operated in the usual manner by the cam 25 to open and close the contacts and 2|.

Operation In Figure 1, the primary circuit I1 is broken whenever the engine is running under a light load. The amount of current, therefore, is reduced to the amount flowing through the circuit I6. Obviously, in this construction, less current is used and less heating results. The timing, however, is not changed.

In Figure 2, in addition to reducing the current when the circuit breaker 24 is inoperative, the timing is advanced because the cam breaks the circuit 20 and 2I earlier than it breaks the circuit 22 and 23. Hence, the eiTect of the vacuum in I 0 opening the vacuum switch I5 is to both reduce the current by eliminating the primary circuit I6 and too, at the same time, to advance the spark. 'It is well known that under a light load the spark may be advanced more than under aheavier load, and, of course, it is equally well known that under a light load, a low compression results, which low compression demands less potential to cause an explosion than is required with a high compression; that is, with the throttle wide open.

In Figure 3, a single circuit breaker I9 is shown and the vacuum switch I4 and I5 disconnects the primary circuit I1 from the circuit breaker I9 whenever the vacuum in the inlet manifold exceeds an amount determined by the compression of the spring l3 inside of the vacuum cylinder II.

In Figure 4, the carburetor is shown with the throttle 31 in the low speed position. The vacuum thereby created opens .the switch 14 and I5.

What I claim is:-

1. In an ignition timing device for an internal combustion engine, having a throttle controlled inlet manifold, an ignition circuit including a circuit breaker, an ignition coil having a secondary circuit and a primary circuit, the latter being adapted to be opened and closed by said circuit breaker, inlet vacuum responsive means and means for varying the strength of the current in said primary circuit adapted to be controlled thereby for the purpose described.

2. In an ignition timing device for an internal combustion engine, an ignition circuit including two circuit breakers, an ignition coil having a secondary circuit and two primary circuits, each of the latter being adapted to be opened and closed by one of said circuit breakers, said circuit breakers being timed so that one breaks after the other, engine load responsive means rendering one of the circuit breakers inoperative whenever the load falls below a predetermined value so that the ignition is automatically advanced under light loads.

3. In an ignition timing device for an internal combustion engine, an ignition circuit including two circuit breakers, an ignition coil having a secondary circuit and two primary circuits, each of the latter being adapted to be opened and closed by one of said circuit breakers, said circuit breakers being timed so that one breaks after the other, inlet vacuum responsive means rendering one of the circuit breakers inoperative whenever the load falls below a predetermined value so that the ignition is automatically advanced under light loads.

4. In an ignition timing device for an internal combustion engine, an ignition circuit including a circuit breaker, a coil having a secondary circuit and a primary circuit, the latter being adapted to be opened and closed by said circuit breaker, and means responsive to a predetermined change in the vacuum of the engine intake to vary the strength of the current in said primary circuit.

5. In an ignition timing device for an internal combustion engine, an ignition circuit including a circuit breaker, a coil having a secondary circuit and a primary circuit, the latter being adapted to be opened and closed by said circuit breaker, a variable resistance in said primary circuit, and means responsive to a predetermined reduction in the amount of vacuum in the engine intake to reduce said resistance.

6. In an ignition system, a primary circuit having two branches, a circuit breaker in each branch having a movable contact and a relatively stationary contact, the stationary contact of one ly stationary contact, one circuit breaker being set to open ahead of the other, the stationary contact of the first opening circuit breaker being permanently grounded, the stationary contact of the last opening circuit breaker being insulated, and a switch controlled by engine suction and operable when closed to ground said insulated contact, thereby immediately retarding the timmg.

8. A spark controlling mechanism comprising an engine ignition circuit adapted to be set for a spark advance condition or for a spark retard condition, and means responsive to the operation of the engine to which said circuit pertains for selectively setting said circuit in said spark advance condition or said spark retard condition.

9. A spark controlling mechanism comprising an engine ignition circuit, a pair of difierently timed circuit interrupters optionally includable in said circuit, and means responsive to the operation of the engine to which the circuit pertains for selectively including said interrupters in said circuit.

10. In an ignition device for an internal combustion engine, an ignition circuit including two circuit breakers adapted to be opened and closed in sequence, a coil having a primary and a secondary winding, the circuit through the primary winding being opened and closed by said circuit breakers, and means responsive to a predetermined increase in the vacuum of the engine intake to render inoperative the circuit through the circuit breaker that is last to open and close, thereby reducing the strength of the secondary current by shortening the time of saturation of the primary circuit, and simultaneously advancing the time of ignition.

MARION MALLORY. 

